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What Progress Looks Like

Three or four years ago, I used to hand write all the addresses when we did mail orders. Back then, it seemed crazy to think that one day in the future I wouldn’t be able to do that anymore. I was happy that anybody cared enough about my music to support it, so taking the time to write out everybody’s name and address was refreshing. It helped me make sense of who my fans were and what cities they lived in.

The past few years have been a little different. Every time we do a preorder, I invest more and more into it and in turn I get more support. The last two years I’ve had to have friends stop by and help me pack up orders and there is no longer time to hand write all the mailing labels.

I’ve seen people ordering this Vigilante Genesis project from many cities that I’ve never been to before. The most notable of these being Hawaii, where I filled orders from five or six different cities there. It may not excite most people, but to have been doing this as long as I have and still seeing new people learning about my music and supporting me is amazing to me.

Many people tend to think that progress happens in broad strokes that are easily seen. But from what I’ve seen, nothing could be further from the truth. Progress happens in small, almost unrecognizable, increments. Progress is in the small day to day details that most people don’t even get to see. Not only is it difficult for outsiders to see this progress, it’s often difficult for us to recognize our own progress–even though we’re the ones working day-to-day towards it.

All I know, is that no matter what your craft is, you will not progress without putting time into it. The only way you will ever get to look up and realize how far you’ve come is by moving forward. You have to take the first step. Then take another. And then realize that as long as you take some sort of step every day, and do your best, then progress is inevitable.

In that sense, there is no such thing as a small victory. All victories are important. And even the smallest victory is of the highest importance to your progress. It may not seem glamorous, but that’s what progress looks like.